Skip to contents
In This Issue:
BWH Becomes Home to First Dedicated Focused Ultrasound Treatment Center in North America
BWH took another step toward defining the latest trends in cutting-edge patient care. On Thursday, June 20th, BWH entered into a new partnership with InSightec Ltd., a company partly owned by General Electric Medical Systems, in an effort to expand the hospital’s ability to perform non-invasive, image guided surgical procedures. In collaboration with InSightec, BWH will now be home to the first MR Image Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound therapeutic center, combining an advanced diagnostic imaging system with a therapeutic focused ultrasound system. This leading center, the first in North America, will allow BWH researchers to advance ongoing clinical trials in the non-invasive treatment of various tumors.
“The capabilities of the focused ultrasound system (FUS) will culminate in some of the hospital’s largest research ventures,” said Ferenc Jolesz, MD, director of BWH’s Image Guided Therapy Program, describing how InSightec’s technology allows for the “ideal” surgery because there are no incisions or needles necessary, and there is no damage to non-diseased, normal tissues.
The focused ultrasound system uses sound waves, not for imaging, but to create heat. “We use roughly the same energy level of sound waves as is used for fetal ultrasound, so it is completely harmless, but we focus it like a light,” described Jolesz. “Once focused on a specific targeted part of the body, the sound waves are strong enough to create heat and essentially melt fibroids away,” he explained.
A team of investigators at BWH, lead by Elizabeth Stewart, MD and Clare Tempany, MD have been conducting clinical trails using FUS to treat uterine leiomyomas since last year which have been very successful to date. “The procedure is straightforward and appears very acceptable to our patients,” said Tempany. “Based upon extensive research by Kullervo Hynynen, PhD and his laboratory, we have been able to guide, monitor and treat with FUS under MR guidance. The MR system provided excellent visualization of the temperature changes, locations of treatment and post treatment effects,” she added.
“This is a revolutionary treatment modality which has multidisciplinary applications ranging from women’s health to the treatment of brain tumors. The focused ultrasound system has the potential to change the practice of medicine and surgery and further advances BWH’s dominance in this emerging field of therapy,” said Jolesz.
The focused ultrasound therapeutic center is scheduled to open at BWH by the end of the year.